Wednesday, 18 May 2016

I received a phone call a few weeks ago from my lovely friend Joan, she rang to tell me that she and her equally lovely hubby Alan were visiting Cornwall and would we like to meet up. I couldn't have been happier, marking the date of arrival on my calendar and looking forward to catching up with our dear friends

Joan and Alan were staying a little further down the coast, just past Mevagissey in a little harbour town called Gorran Haven

Our friends arrived on the saturday and we agreed to meet up for Sunday lunch at one of our local pubs

Lunch was delicious and five hours later we were still sat there catching up on all the news

We had such a wonderful afternoon and decided to meet up again on the thursday, this time in Gorran Haven, Neil and I hadn't been there before so it was also a chance to discover another little stretch of the coastline

We met at the cottage Joan and Alan were staying in and walked down to the harbour

Just to the left of this photo, on the harbour was a little eatery - The Mermaid Cafe, we sat and chatted, had lunch and then decided to take a little stroll along the coastal path

Joan and Alan never stop smiling, they are like a tonic and we had such a wonderfully relaxed afternoon

We left the harbour and followed the path around the cove

Looking ahead, it was pleasantly warm but not sunny, at least it stayed dry for our gentle coastal amble

And of course we took time to take in the views, almost all of the path is beribboned with white 'bluebells'

Even on this relatively dull day the sea was a lovely turquoise colour

We didn't venture too far on the path, turning back after a little while and heading back into town

We took a slow wander around the narrow streets and up to the local hotel for a nice cold drink

Back at Joan and Alan's holiday cottage, we took a moment to capture our special day

Wednesday, 4 May 2016

Come walk with me around the Castle ruins at Tintagel on the North Coast of our beautiful county Cornwall

Tintagel is a small village nestled along the Atlantic coast

This 14th century post office is at the heart of the village

Walking through the village and towards the coast a gentle path takes you down to the waters edge with just a hint of the ruins visible in the top left corner of my photo

We arrived at lunch time and the weather was glorious so we settled down and enjoyed our picnic, gazing out to this spectacular scenery, the sun on our faces and gentle sea breezes blowing off the cobwebs

The journey around the ruins commences in the Grand Hall

The dilapidated remains of an archway, lead you around the cliff edge

Just portions of structure remain, giving an impression of a majestic presence long gone, with glimpses of the now peaceful ocean, an ocean that has no doubt contributed to the demise of the castle

Continuing around the cliffs, the views were breathtaking, each twist and turn offering a unique postcard possibility. These stunning seascapes definitely explain the reason why Tintagel is one of the most visited places in the UK

"This is the heart of Lancelot,

Not these stones, not these timbers,

These palaces and towers,

Burn them all and Camelot still lives on,

Because it lives in us,

Camelot is a belief that we hold in our heart"

King Arthur

The mediaeval fortification has a long association with Arthurian legends

Looking out from the modern statue you can just make out an ancient church in the distance

And continuing around the peninsular the village of Tintagel once more becomes visible

Heading out through another archway down steep steps, leading into the cove below

And continuing onwards and upwards to the final stretch

At the top of all those steps, you are rewarded with uninterrupted ocean views, or if you look down, you are situated directly above the cove concealing Merlin's cave

A local artist has recently sculpted this image of Merlin, chiselled and hewn into the rockface, only slightly larger than our own heads, but quite colossal in controversy

Both this sculpture and the statue in my previous photo have definitely split opinion, both have been accused of "Disneyfying" our beautiful and natural heritage. I can, in all honesty, understand those who believe our heritage should remain pure, untouched, preserved but unaltered, but, my own personal opinion is that tasteful and sensitive art can indeed contribute it's own nod to history, bring legends alive and illustrate without spoiling it's setting